"Scared of My Son"

October 11, 2012

Each year, approximately 20 mass shootings happen in the United States. How does this happen? Would you know if you were raising a killer? In a very rare and emotional interview, hear from Jeff, whose son, Andy, became a school shooter. Then, go inside the mind of the shooter, when Dr. Phil speaks with Andy from prison. Plus, Nicole and Jim say they’re so frightened of their 15-year-old son that they check in with each other up to 50 times a day to make sure each other is safe. And, Kelly and Nick say their 14-year-old son is obsessed with guns and makes homemade bombs. They say when he gets angry, his behavior is out of control, and he lashes out to extremes. Kelly says she’s at her wits' end and is ready to turn their son over to the authorities. If you fear your child is headed down a dark path, don’t miss the top warning signs.

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AndyJeffNicole and JimNicole and Jim's sonNick and KellyNick and Kelly's son

Inside the Mind of a Shooter

Jeff says his son, Andy, was a friendly little boy. “I never thought Andy would grow up to commit murder,” he says. But on March 5, 2001, his then 15-year-old son went to school with a .22
caliber revolver and 40 bullets in his backpack and opened fire on his
classmates, killing two and wounding 11.

Jeff was at work when he saw the news footage of the event, and he went to the school to look for his son. After two hours of searching, he found a few of Andy's classmates. “They were balling and through their tears, they went, ‘He did it,’" Jeff recalls. “I was devastated. I just felt like the whole world was crushing down on me.”

Jeff says that morning, Andy wrote a goodbye note, went to school, entered the bathroom and loaded the pistol, walked out of the stall, shot one student in the back of the head and another kid in the stomach. Andy reloaded his weapon five or six times and shot at others. “Andy had enough of the bullying, picking on him in front of his friends," Jeff shares. "Andy was turned into a killer.”

Jeff and his partner, Donna, join Dr. Phil in studio. Donna’s son was at the high school the day of the shooting.

Jeff recalls learning that Andy was the school shooter. Did he miss warning signs? “I felt like somebody just, literally, ripped out my heart, threw it down and stomped on it.”

Dr. Phil talks to Andy from prison. What led to the shooting, and what was his reaction once it was done?“You wanted to die that day?”

Does Andy regret his actions? And, he offers a message to the victims’ parents.

Capable of Murder?

Jim and Nicole are scared of their 16-year-old son. “I am 150 percent sure that my son could kill somebody,” says Nicole. “When my 15-year-old son gets angry, it’s like a light switch; his eyes turn black. I hate to say it, but all I see is evil.” She says that one of their fights turned violent, and the teen hit her in the mouth. "After my son punched me, I told him I hated him,” she shares. “I have so much guilt, because I don’t hate him. I love him so much.”

“My son has told me, when I’m restraining him, that if he gets lose, he will kill me in my sleep. He will get a knife and stab me to death,” Jim adds.

“It just feels like I’m not in control of myself anymore,” the teen reveals.

“I never dreamed that my baby could become a monster,” Nicole says.

Kelly and Nick also fear their 14-year-old son. “I am terrified that my son is capable of being a killer,” Kelly says, pointing out that her son held his 5-year-old stepbrother’s head in the hot tub until he started throwing up. “We had to let my mom keep our dog because my son has tormented her so much that the dog shakes every time he comes into the room.” She says the teen has broken his bed, a desk and a dresser, put holes in the walls and ripped parts of the carpet. “I’m to the point where I’m ready to give my son up to authorities.”

“My stepson cannot control his temper at all,” says Nick. “I think it’s 100 percent sure fact that my stepson is going to go to jail soon if he keeps on the same path.”

The teen reveals, “I can control my anger sometimes, but when things that are important to me make me mad, then it’s kind of hard to control.”

Dr. Phil speaks with Nicole and Jim and lists some of the circumstances that may be contributing to their son's behavior. And, hear from the teen. Do his parents have a reason to worry?

Could Kelly and Nick be contributing to their son’s behavior? Hear what the teen says about his life at home.

Jeff’s emotional message for Jim and Nicole and Kelly and Nick.

Dr. Phil offers to have the teens evaluated at the Lawlis Peavey PNP Center, where they will receive tools to change their behavior.